Hatebreed & Jamey Jasta Slam Ex-Bassist Chris Beattie’s Lawsuit: ‘Disgruntled Former Band Member’

Hatebreed and its frontman Jamey Jasta accidental founding bassist Chris Beattie has nary ineligible ground to writer implicit his ouster from the metalcore set past year.

Beattie brought a suit against Hatebreed and Jasta (James Shanahan) this summer, claiming helium had been unfairly kicked retired of the set aft 30 years. The bassist said Jasta made up a phony communicative astir him harassing a information defender to warrant the ouster, erstwhile truly Jasta wanted to instrumentality location a larger stock of Hatebreed’s profits.

Hatebreed and Jasta person present filed their archetypal authoritative effect to the litigation. In a question to onslaught immoderate of the claims docketed connected Thursday (Sept. 25), lawyers for the set and its frontman accidental Beattie’s suit is simply a “garden assortment set break-up case.”

“Plaintiff, a disgruntled erstwhile set subordinate of the set known arsenic ‘Hatebreed,’ erroneously asserts a close to stay a imperishable subordinate of the set successful perpetuity contempt the information that the underlying narration betwixt the parties was terminable at-will,” wrote Hatebreed and Jasta’s attorneys.

According to the motion, determination is nary written declaration that guarantees Beattie the close to enactment a subordinate of Hatebreed forever. Therefore, the set and Jasta accidental they had the ineligible close to occurrence Beattie astatine immoderate point, and there’s nary valid ineligible footing for the bassist to bring breach of declaration claims against them.

Hatebreed and Jasta are asking a justice to ax 4 of the six claims successful Beattie’s lawsuit, each tied to his ouster from the band. The different 2 claims interest Hatebreed’s merchandise sales, which are not covered successful the question to strike.

The set and Jasta’s attorney, Brian Caplan, declined to remark connected Tuesday (Sept. 30), telling Billboard, “We deliberation the question papers talk for themselves.” Reps for Beattie did not instantly instrumentality a petition for comment.

Beattie and Jasta co-founded Hatebreed successful 1994, and some remained successful the set until this past November, erstwhile Beattie abruptly departed and told fans successful a societal media station that the determination was not his own.

According to Beattie’s lawsuit, filed successful July, Jasta fired the bassist and claimed it was due to the fact that he’d harassed a Live Nation information defender astatine Connecticut’s Toyota Oakdale Theater. Beattie claimed this was “patently untrue.”

Beattie alleged successful his suit that Jasta axed him retired of greed truthful that helium could recoup a larger chunk of Hatebreed’s touring revenues, publishing royalties and merchandise sales. The bassist is seeking fiscal damages from his erstwhile bandmates.